I read most of the tips I know in  previous posts, but I did think of a
few things to add.  I warn the moms that the first few days of pumping
may not yield much, as the body has to learn a new trick, and you have
to convince it that you *really will* give the milk to the baby! I found
a suggestion in the instruction booklet of the Ameda-Egnell Elite to
begin pumping on low suction, fast cycle until letdown occurs, then slow
down the cycling and up the suction as is comfortable. This would be
repeated two or three times in 15 minutes, starting over as the milk
stopped spraying. Another thing that occurred to me was that while some
moms will not mind "rolling and pulling" the nipple for a minute to
bring letdown, others would think, "that is just *too* much!"  I think
brief massage, cupping the breasts and giving them a "jiggle" then
elongating the nipple while  pumping should work most of the time. A mom
who exclusively pumped for at least a year (her son never got the hang
of nursing) reported that taking 3 fenugreek capsules one hour before
pumping helped greatly. She pumped up tp 40 ounces per day for that
whole year, pumping about 6-8 times per day, as I remember, AND she is
the "breadwinner" of their family! (Baby #3 nursed like a champ.)  Did
someone write that moms who were pumping easily and now having trouble
should have the pump checked?  Also, I have "caught" many moms pumping
one side at a time and eating their sandwiches with the other (I finally
learned to ask, "Are you pumping both sides at once?"). I stilll
sometimes recommend a "milk holiday" for moms who are getting frustrated
with pumping (the Friday plus weekend to NurseNurseNurse).While I
understand that diet is not generally an issue with supply, some moms do
report a difference in success with pumping when they remember to keep
up with their fluids. Has anyone else heard this?
Rowena Tucker IBCLC
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